A plurality of games are implemented at a plurality of gaming machines. At least one server (30, 36, 38) serves game play and non-game play related data to at least one gaming machine (12, 12′), and a resource control unit (50, 202) obtains information indicative of bandwidth usage of a plurality of gaming machines (12, 12′), and controls the level of non-game play related data served to at least one gaming machine based on the information.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A gaming system arranged to implement a plurality of games at a plurality of gaming machines located at a plurality of gaming venues, the gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines located at a plurality of gaming venues, each gaming venue having a plurality of associated gaming machines; at least one server arranged to serve game play related data and non-game play related data to at least one gaming machine at each of said gaming venues; a control device arranged to maintain a queue having queue filling levels, each queue filling level indicative of a level of game play related activity associated with each gaming venue; and a resource control unit arranged to obtain information indicative of said queue filling levels and to control the level of non-game play related data served by said at least one server to the at least one gaming machine at a said gaming venue based on said queue filling level.
2. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one server comprises a game play related server and a non-game play related server.
3. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gaming system is arranged to maintain a low priority queue having a low priority queue filling level indicative of a level of non-game play related activity associated with each gaming venue, and the resource control unit is arranged to control the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine based on the low priority queue filling level.
4. A gaming system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the resource control unit is arranged to decrease the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine if the queue exceeds a high activity threshold.
5. A gaming system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the high activity threshold is 80% of a full low priority queue.
6. A gaming system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine is decreased only if the queue level exceeds a high activity threshold for a predetermined period of time.
7. A gaming system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the resource control unit is arranged to increase the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine if the queue filling level is less than a low activity threshold.
8. A gaming system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the low activity threshold is 40% of a full low priority queue.
9. A gaming system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine is increased only if the queue filling level is less than a low activity threshold for a predetermined period of time.
10. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gaming system is arranged to maintain a high priority queue having a high priority queue filling level indicative of a level of game play related activity associated with each gaming venue, and the resource control unit is arranged to control the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine based on the high priority queue filling level.
11. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resource control unit is arranged to obtain data indicative of the number of gaming machines associated with the gaming venue logged into the gaming system.
12. A gaming system arranged to implement a plurality of games at a plurality of gaming machines located at a plurality of gaming venues, the gaming system comprising: at least one server arranged to serve game play related data and non-game play related data to at least one gaming machine at each of said gaming venues; a lookup table arranged to store values for allowed levels of non-game play related data associated with each gaming venue and data indicative of the number of gaming machines, associated with the gaming venue logged into the gaming system; and a resource control unit arranged to extract a value for an allowed level of non-game play related data from the lookup table and to modify the allowed level of non-game play related data served to at least one gaming machine at a venue based on the extracted value.
13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the gaming system comprises a back office database arranged to store said lookup table.
14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gaming system is arranged to establish a virtual communication channel to each gaming machine and to establish a VPN tunnel for each communication channel.
15. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-game play related server comprises an update server arranged to provide the gaming machines with updated software and a streaming data server arranged to provide the gaming machines with images and/or video.
16. A gaming system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the streaming data server is arranged to provide the gaming machines with images, advertising images and/or video.
17. A method of managing bandwidth usage in a gaming system comprising a remote base station, a plurality of gaming machines located at a plurality of gaming venues and a communications network arranged to facilitate communications between the remote base station and the gaming machines, the method comprising: serving game play related data to at least one gaming machine during implementation of a game; serving a non-game play related data to at least one gaming machine; obtaining data indicative of the available bandwidth between the communications network and each gaming venue and of the number of logged-in gaming machines associated with the gaming venue, said obtaining data including providing a lookup table arranged to store values for allowed levels of non-game play related data for available bandwidth and number of logged-in gaming machines; and controlling the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine through the communications network by the at least one non-game play related server based on the obtained data, said controlling including extracting a value for an allowed level of non-game play related data from the lookup table, and modifying the allowed level of non-game play related data for a venue based on the extracted value.
18. A method as claimed in claim 17 , comprising maintaining a queue having a queue filling level indicative of a level of non-game play and/or game play related activity associated with each gaming venue, and controlling the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine based on the queue filling level.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18 , comprising maintaining a low priority queue having a low priority queue filling level indicative of a level of non-game play related activity associated with each gaming venue, and controlling the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine based on the low priority queue filling level.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19 , comprising decreasing the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine if the queue exceeds a high activity threshold.
21. A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the high activity threshold is 80% of a full low priority queue.
22. A method as claimed in claim 20 , comprising decreasing the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine only if the queue level exceeds a high activity threshold for a predetermined period of time.
23. A method as claimed in claim 19 , comprising increasing the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine if the queue filling level is less than a low activity threshold.
24. A method as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the low activity threshold is 40% of a full low priority queue.
25. A method as claimed in claim 23 , comprising increasing the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine if the queue filling level is less than a low activity threshold for a predetermined period of time.
26. A method as claimed in claim 18 , comprising maintaining a high priority queue having a high priority queue filling level indicative of a level of game play related activity associated with each gaming venue, and controlling the level of non-game play related data served to the at least one gaming machine based on the high priority queue filling level.
27. A method as claimed in claim 17 , comprising providing a back office database arranged to store said lookup table.
28. A method as claimed in claim 17 , comprising establishing a virtual communication channel to each gaming machine and establishing a VPN tunnel for each communication channel.
29. A method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the non-game play related data comprises updated software.
30. A method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the non-game play related data comprises advertising images and/or video.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 5, 2008
February 19, 2013
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